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Hofsas House Hotel is a boutique pet-friendly hotel located in the village of Carmel-by-the-Sea and it’s within walking distance to an array of pet-friendly shops, cafes, and restaurants. The hotel describes itself as “European elegance with the warmth of family hospitality” and we totally agree with their slogan.

There were a handful of pet-friendly accommodations in Carmel and after doing some research, we decided to book our stay at Hofsas House Hotel. We took several factors into account including location, price, reviews, and pet-friendliness, and Hofsas House Hotel was the clear winner.

LOCATION

The hotel is located close to Ocean Avenue, which is the main street of Carmel where all the restaurants and shops are located. It was an easy 5-minute walk from the hotel. Carmel Beach is also located nearby and was about a 20-minute walk to the off-leash, dog-friendly beach.

If you want to drive to the beach, parking is available, but we recommend getting there before 10 AM if you want to snag a parking spot. Traffic down to the beach was pretty hectic around noon.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We arrived for check-in a couple of hours later than expected and upon arrival, the staff was welcoming and even concerned for us since we arrived a little late. They gave us great information on the area and even handed us gifts for our fur babies. Each dog received a portable bowl, shampoo and dog towel. They all came in very handy since there’s a dog beach nearby.

Goodies for our dogs. They each got one, so they didn’t have to share.

One thing to note when arriving in Carmel is to arrive before sundown. Carmel is known for not having any street lights or house numbers so getting around the area in the dark was a lot harder than we thought. We had so much trouble finding the proper route to the front of our hotel room that we eventually gave up and just parked in the back of the hotel where there was a parking lot.

THE ROOM

We stayed in Room 38 which was on the ground level and at the very end of the building. The room was very spacious and a fantastic size for pets. We weren’t expecting so much space, so it was a nice surprise.

Candy and Zooey on their side of the bed. Kuma waiting for Crystal to come to bed.

We could tell that Kuma and Zooey were happy with the extra room because they would constantly play and chase one another. The decor had a slightly vintage vibe with a fireplace and little lounge area. We didn’t use the fireplace but wish we would have for those brisk mornings. Carmel was surprisingly cold in mid-June in the low 50s. The highest it got was in the 70s.

There was also a little dining table by the window where we enjoyed our delicious complimentary breakfast.

The room accommodated two queen size beds which gave us plenty of room to share the bed with our pups. The mattress and pillows weren’t the most comfortable, but at least we were warm.

Bathroom

The bathroom and sink area was spacious and we believe the room was also a handicap accessible room as the bathroom sink counter was lower than the average countertop. Plus, the grab bar between the shower and toilet was especially long. The hotel provided basic necessities like shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion. We appreciated that they also provided hand sanitizer.

The only gripe we have about the bathroom was the shower. We like to take steaming hot showers and the water temperature was lukewarm. It never got hot enough to warm our body temperatures, so when we stepped out of the shower, we would have goosebumps. The water pressure was also extremely strong that it hurt to wash our face in the shower. We always stepped out of the shower unsatisfied.

Closet

The closet was very spacious with plenty of hangers which we love since we like to hang our clothes instead of leaving them in our suitcase. This is where we also found the iron, iron board, and blow dryer. There was also a huge shelf above the clothing rail that came in handy to store all of our dog treats and food. Our pups LOVE eating, so we always have to stash their goodies in places they have no chance of getting into.

Noise Level

We thought it was important to note the noise level since we had pups that are quite the guard dogs and bark at anything they hear outside or between the walls. As we mentioned earlier, our room was at the end of the building. Right next to our room were residential houses and a street that lead to a dead end. Throughout the day and night, cars would come down the street and make a u-turn and speed off or honk.

This not only annoyed us, but the dogs too. There was also a house nearby that constantly had their home alarm go off and the dogs weren’t big fans of that high pitch ringing sound and neither were we. The walls were also very thin so we could hear people talking next door and kids running around upstairs. We’re pretty sure they heard our dogs barking as well.

COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST

Breakfast was served from 8-10 AM in the main lobby where we checked in. Dining in the lobby was prohibited, so we would grab our breakfast and take it back to our room to enjoy it there. They provided trays so that we could grab as many items as we wanted. This was perfect since we already had our hands full with the dogs.

Walking to the lobby to grab our breakfast

We usually don’t have high hopes when hotels provide complimentary continental breakfast, but we thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast spread. The pastries were delivered fresh daily from the Paris Bakery in Monterey and the coffee was from the Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Company. Each day we tried a different pastry and they were all delicious. Crystal really enjoyed the coffee and always went for a second cup. It’s rare for us to get outstanding complimentary coffee.

Complimentary breakfast with pastries, yogurt, fruit and coffee

PARKING

There was plenty of parking behind the hotel with their own private lot; however, if you want to park in front of your room, there were only a few designated parking spots. We tried to park in the spot in front of our room the first night we arrived, but with the area being so dark with no street lights, it was impossible to find our way around and the parking spot was already taken anyway.

Before we checked out of the hotel, some parking spots opened up in front of our room, so we moved our car up front and were able to carry our luggage into the car more easily.

Dog waste stations throughout the property.

COST

We stayed at the hotel in mid-June and booked the room through Booking.com. It cost us about $250 per night with an additional $50 pet fee per night for two dogs (it’s $30 per night for one dog, but we got a little discount for two dogs).

The total cost for two nights in June ended up being a little over $600, so it’s definitely not cheap to spend a summer weekend in Carmel, but we wanted to experience a pet-friendly town with our dogs and it was worth it to us.

Check current rates HERE.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We stayed at this hotel on June 19, 2020, and the staff did a great job adhering to the CDC guidelines. Everyone was required to wear a mask, hand sanitizer was provided, cups were individually wrapped, pastries were individually wrapped and the staff only came into the room on an as-need basis.

We had an awesome weekend in Carmel and the Hofsas House Hotel was a great location as it was close to Carmel Beach and walking distance to an array of dog-friendly activities, restaurants, and shops. We would gladly book another stay here; however, as much as we loved the spacious room, we probably would ask for a different room due to the noise level in Room 38.

HOFSAS HOUSE HOTEL
ADDRESS: Between 3rd & 4th Ave on San Carlos Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921 (MAP)
PHONE: (831) 624-2745
@hofsashouse